Sunday, November 1, 2015

New Zealand All Blacks Perform World Cup Winning Haka

I've previously written about the tradition of New Zealanders performing a "Haka" before athletic events.

A Haka is a traditional ancestral war cry, dance or challenge of the Māori people of New Zealand which the New Zealand national rugby union team, the All Blacks, and a number of other New Zealand national teams perform before their international matches.

Done well, a Haka is dramatic and powerful. And really kinda sexy. No one does this better than the New Zealand All Blacks.

Before the World Cup Finals yesterday, which saw the All Blacks triumphant over the Wallabies of Australia, the All Blacks chose to set the tone with a ‘Kapa O Panga’ Haka.

After the match, and securing the first back-to-back World Cups, the men of the All Blacks came back a traditional ‘Ka Mate’ Haka dedicated to their fans and to six departing team mates, facing their newly won trophy.